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Beginnings of public education in North Carolina, a documentary history, 1790-1840, Vol. 1

1^)tti-:k's Si'kkcii. 313
decide that our })cm)])1(' lU'c iiicapahlc of \irnic (n- cxccl-leiice,
and that they are only
"Born to eat, and be des})ised ami ilic
Ev'n as tlie brntes that perish, sa\c that iho^-
Have a inor(^ noble trough, and wider sty."
I wouhl invoke the genius of my country to come to my
side, and aid me in persuading you to the adoption of this
measure. Sir, if she were indeed to appear among us
—
if the genius of N. Carolina were now to present herself sad picture of tin-
1
, 1-111-- f ^ ^ present eoiiilitioii
to you, who are cnarged with the destinies of her people, of the state,
instead of the majesty of a guardian goddess—instead of
a radiant brow, and an eye flashing light and dignity on
this assembly, you would mark her with a pallid front, an<l
*'sad and shrouded eye," and in the hollow accents of de-spair,
she would demand of you, in the language of admo-nition
and reproof, "wdiy sit ye here, all the while idle {"
why assemble here from session to session, and expend
your time upon ephemeral objects, while you neglect the
very salvation of the republic? why meet you here fi-om
year to year, to scuffle over subjects, unimportant to the
public, and trifling in themselves, or to squabble about the
disposition of a clerkship or a judgeship, whilst the peo-ple,
for whom all this is intended—for whose benefit go\'-
erniiient was established, laws enacted, and judges a})-
pointed—whilst the people are left to rust in primeval ig- The i.e<>nie left i..
,,. ^ .
, 1 , 1 .. rust ill their prinu-iiorance—
rotting from sire to son, and age to age, deaf vni i^'noranee
as the adder, and dai'k as Erebus? She would tell vou, tnress.|iiai)i7ie
over tritles.
you were a degraded and despised community ; but only
so, because you would be so. She v.'ould tell you that
North Carolina was a liou in the net, an eagle without
his pinions, fixed upon the earth, and gazing at the sun
in despair, and she would conjure you to make one gener-ous,
one manly eft'oi't, to redeem and disenthral her—to
take, at this moment, a firm and noble stand in suj)port
of the most sacred ri<>hts of huiiianitv—to silence in vour

1^)tti-:k's Si'kkcii. 313
decide that our })cm)])1(' lU'c iiicapahlc of \irnic (n- cxccl-leiice,
and that they are only
"Born to eat, and be des})ised ami ilic
Ev'n as tlie brntes that perish, sa\c that iho^-
Have a inor(^ noble trough, and wider sty."
I wouhl invoke the genius of my country to come to my
side, and aid me in persuading you to the adoption of this
measure. Sir, if she were indeed to appear among us
—
if the genius of N. Carolina were now to present herself sad picture of tin-
1
, 1-111-- f ^ ^ present eoiiilitioii
to you, who are cnarged with the destinies of her people, of the state,
instead of the majesty of a guardian goddess—instead of
a radiant brow, and an eye flashing light and dignity on
this assembly, you would mark her with a pallid front, annie left i..
,,. ^ .
, 1 , 1 .. rust ill their prinu-iiorance—
rotting from sire to son, and age to age, deaf vni i^'noranee
as the adder, and dai'k as Erebus? She would tell vou, tnress.|iiai)i7ie
over tritles.
you were a degraded and despised community ; but only
so, because you would be so. She v.'ould tell you that
North Carolina was a liou in the net, an eagle without
his pinions, fixed upon the earth, and gazing at the sun
in despair, and she would conjure you to make one gener-ous,
one manly eft'oi't, to redeem and disenthral her—to
take, at this moment, a firm and noble stand in suj)port
of the most sacred ri<>hts of huiiianitv—to silence in vour